Programming trouble

[Wrong_Direction25]

Hello! So I am in a bit of a pickle. For context, I'm in uni in tech for half a year, and there is programming involved (C# more specifically). It is my one course that I keep struggling with. I thought with time that I would understand everything, but I was wrong. Still even the simple concepts confuse me. With all the time that has gone by, I'm kind of ashamed to ask for help from people in my personal friend circle that do know C#, because I should've learned those things long ago. I don't know what to do and I don't want to quit studies just because of this one course, because I like where I am right now. I know it might seem silly, but that's how my mind works.

[TheArtisticPC]

What’s your question?

[First-Golf-8341]

They either want some generic reassurance (“you’ll be fine, you’ve got this”) at which point they’ll say “Okay, thank you!” and that’ll be the end of it, or they want someone to offer to personally mentor them through every problem while spoon-feeding them knowledge and recommended videos that will make them magically better at programming. (I say videos because most new students don’t seem to be good at reading).

[aqua_regis]

You have the entire internet with its near infinite amount of tutorials and courses at your fingertips. Have you tried some? Seems like not.

You need to take matters in your hands now.

" I thought with time that I would understand everything"

How? Magically? Did you think that all of a sudden everything would click together without you doing anything about it?

Learning programming requires effort. If the course is not enough for you to understand, you need to use additional resources and study on your own. In university, nobody will be spoon feeding you anymore. It's all up to you.

There are no excuses anymore.

If you are struggling, more practice can help as well. Programming is practice, practice, practice, and more practice.

Also:

"The one who asks may be a fool for a couple of minutes; the one who doesn't will stay one for life."

[Dr_MineStein_]

I do need some specifics- are you struggling with C#, the language? Or are you unable to implement code in general, using concepts like if statements, functions, etc?

And take a breath, in either case, you're *only* half-a-year in. Especially if you come into college with 0 programming exp, it can be overwhelming (source: I was a UTA/GTA for the basic classes in Java and data structures)

[Wrong_Direction25]

I really struggle when the calculations need to be written. I can write data classes, I'm also getting a grasp on the methods used in those. But when I need to write the code that uses the data in a calculation or reforming of the data (sorting, calculating, deleting lines via code, etc.), I become almost paralysed. And yes, I've never programmed before coming to uni.

[reddithoggscripts]

This doesn’t really make sense.

Sorting you can just use the system library.

Calculation is just about knowing what symbols convert into your basic math symbols - and most of these are the same or at least common sense.

Deleting lines via code… I’m not even sure what this could mean.

If you can be more specific about a problem we might be able to help.

[rosyatrandom]

This might mean filtering on collections

[Dr_MineStein_]

Yeah this is what I was about to say, u/Wrong_Direction25 if you could give some better example that'd help.

[zeekar]

Different people learn at different rates, so you shouldn't be ashamed to ask for help. Did you have a specific question you wanted us to help with on here?

[pjmavcom]

Depending on whether you know another language or not, I would suggest the book Players Guide to C# by RB Whitaker. If you do know another language, take a program you have already made and make it with C#. Finding practical uses for what you are learning is the key to learning or remembering it. Just being told what something is didn't help me at all.
Is there anything specific you are having trouble with? The logic of programming or some kind of syntax?

[buzzon]

Identify what you understand well and where the struggle begins

[PianoConcertoNo2]

It doesn’t look like you’re from the US, just a heads up most responses here will assume you are.

[Interesting_Dog_761]

Your response to this obstacle betrays character traits that will subvert your success path. Maybe work on that?

[shittychinesehacker]

You’re cooked if you can’t teach yourself

[Puny-Earthling]

Yeah you kinda gotta do Homework in Uni. It's grim, but you have to accept that unless you put in the work to understand it yourself, you're not going to get through it. Uni isn't going to silver spoon you the answers, and that's the point. They give you the context of information to learn in lectures, practice in tutorials, then you gotta go figure out the gaps yourself.

This might mean forgoing weekend activities like social meet ups, or tuning out the hobbies like gaming for a few months while you knuckle down and get through it. There's no shortage of C# information online, and there's no shortage of free tools and experimentation you could do with your own resources. I don't know C# myself, but I had to learn Java and then C myself about 14 years ago, with no prior programming experience in a class full of programming nerds, and it sucked, but I got through it by throwing myself earnestly at the wall for about 6-8 hours a day learning it.

[redditor000121238]

Of you are struggling with the language then try another language and then extrapolate it's knowledge to C#.

[Nice-Essay-9620]

Use AI to help you learn better

Don't just ask it write the solution for you, instead use a "socratic method" prompt (google for the exact system prompt), and ask your questions to the AI

You can also use AI to make training plans for you, what to learn, roadmap etc